The metal nails that fastened the wooden components of a 2400 year old ship found along the coast of kippuz Ma'agan Mikhael, Israel, were made of unalloyed copper that was intensively hammered. A lead isotope analysis of one nail indicates with high probability that it was made of copper that was mined in northwest Cyprus. The copper of the nails in the wood was replaced entirely by copper sulfide mineral, displaying the occurrence of deep anaerobic conditions in a breaker zone under a shallow cover of sand. The slow decay of the cellulose and hemicellulose in the wood is a possible explanation for the specific necessary environmental conditions. It was concluded that these nails were directly inserted into the wood without any woodenplug treenails. They were deliberately made of copper instead of bronze or iron, widely known and used during the Persian period, to be strong enough to fasten the frames to the ship's hall while not being too brittle and resisting the cutting pressures on the structure in motion.
Nails from a 2400 year old shipwreck: A study of copper in a marine archaeological environment
Kupfernägel aus einem 2400 Jahre alten Schiffswrack. Eine archäologische Untersuchung von Kupfer in einer marinen Umgebung
JOM - The Journal of the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society ; 51 , 2 ; 14-20
1999
4 Seiten, 11 Bilder
Article (Journal)
English
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